Blank-holding means



July '7, 1925. 1,544,573

R. w. GLASNER-ET AL BLANK HOLDING MEANS Filed May 18, 1923 4Sheets-Sheet July 7*, 1925.

' 1,544,573 w. GLASNER ET AL BLANK HOLDING MEANS Filed May 18. 1923 4 sneets-sneet 2 nmgakzfllaszzer Weak)" z J/iada' {iii July 7, 1925.1,544,573

R. w.* GLASNER ET AL,

' BLANK HOLDING MEANS Filed May 18, .1923 4 She'e ts-Sheet 4 I 47 A h 3J- 1 I ,1 J I 62 I I Patented July 7,1925.

UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH W. GLASNEB,

. C v OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND FRIEDRICH J. RODE, 0F CLEVE- LAND, OHIO,ASSIGINI'OBS TO HARQUETTE TOOL & MANUFACTURING CO., .01 CHI- CAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS. 1

BLANK-HOLDING MEANS.

Application filed Kay 18, 1923. Serial No."639,810.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, RUDOLPH; W. Gus-- KER, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, and FREDRICH J. Roms, residing atCleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, both citizens ofthe United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBlank- Holuing Means, of which the following is a specification. I Thepresent invention relates in general to metal stamping presses of thetype known as double acting presses, but more particularly the inventionrelates to the blank holding means therefor.

Heretofore in presses of this kind it was necessary, and in fact onlypossible to set what 1s known as the blank holder for a fixed extent oftravel with respect to the work supporting surface and after it was onceset, the extent of distance of travel would not change during eoperation of the press and furthermore it would always have a.tendencyto travel the same distance under all conditions, oftenresulting in serious damage if anything-should attempt to reduce theextent of such travel during the operation of the press.

To overcome these difiiculties and objections and to provide improvedmeans where by the blank holder'wouldbe subjected to a given pressurerather than to be set for a predetermined length oftravel, is one of theobjects of the present invention.

In practice it is found that metal sheets 7 vary greatly in thicknessand also that the sheets being operated upon vary in thickness whilethey are being drawn into shape. It is therefore another object of'thepresent invention to provide an improved blank holder which, whileexerting a certain pressure upon the blank, will still be flexibleenough to allow for such variations of thickness of the metal which takeplace during such operation.

It is further an advantage to provide means whereby the pressure-exertedu n the blank maybe changed during the di erent stages of the drawmgoperation during one cycle of operation of the press.

llerctot'ore in drawing presses of this kind the amount of pressureexerted upon the upon the extent of travel of the blank-holder, andwhich travel was always fixed or constant. Under these conditions itwill be manifest that it was necessary to adjust the mechanism so as tovary the extent of movement of the blank holder for the varyingthicknesses of the work. In the event that the blank holder was adjustedfor a predetermined thickness of metal and a sheet of material of a.greater thickness was fed through the machine, it will be manifest thatconsider-.

able damage would be caused either to the work or the machine or both,and in case a thinner sheet'was fed through the machine, the work wouldwrinkle. v

Furthermore, as the thickness; of the ma.- terial during the shaping orforming operation varies owing to the flow of material I from one partof the material being operatthe metal at a desired pressure for a given,

length of time and serious difficulties have been experienced by theheretofore short dwell, which was not controllable but was fixed withrelation to the position, lengths and shapes of the toggles or cams andtheir movements.

It is one of the objects of the present invention to provide improvedmeans whereby the pressure upon the work to be drawn into blank by theblank holder merely depended shape may be predetermined and. at the sametime will be flexible.

Another ob ect 15 to provlde improvedblank holding means which willreadily lend itself to the formation of various shapes out of sheetmetal of varying thicknesses and at the same time exert a predeterminedpres-' 'sure upon such varylng thicknesses of the sheets.-

Another object is to provide improved blank holding means which willexert a, desired pressure upon the blank and compensate for suchvariations in thickness of the metal to be drawn as are taking place inthe metal during the drawing operation.

Another object is to provide an improved blank holder which will providea clearly place during the operation of forming.

Another object is to provide an improved blank holder by means of theuse of which the amount of pressure upon the blank may be variable atwill. 4

Another object is to provide an improved blank holder in which theamount of pressure may be varied at will during the forming operationand during the cycle of opera-2 tion of the press.

Another object is to provide an improved blank holder by means of theuse of'which various pressures maybe exerted upon the blank during onecycleof operation, such pressure varlation being produced automaticallyand at predetermined periods during such cycle of operation.

Another object is to provide an improved blank holder and means forreleasing the pressure upon the blank during a predetermined stage ofthe forming operation.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved blankholding means moving independently of the forming block and means forallowing for variations of pressure by said blank holder upon the metalsheet to be formed.

To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new anduseful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features ofnovelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrangementof the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed andshown in the accompanying drawings illustrating this invention, and inwhich "Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation, partly in section andwith arts omitted of a press having a blank hol in means constructed inaccordance with the principles of this invention applied thereto.

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail view partly in elevation, partly insection and partly broken away of, a link motion for operating one ofthe die members.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of. Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view of a portion of a press having a-modified form ofblank holding means applied thereto.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View of the cushioning device and thecontrolling mechanism therefor.

Referring more particularly to the drawings the numeral 10 designatesthe bed of a.

press supporting the die member 11, 12 indi-' cates a ram carrying apunch member 13 and reciprocable by means of links 14. The press is alsoprovided with a reciprocating blank holdingmember 15, to which ablankholder 16 is connected. All of these parts are of the ordinary and wellknown construction in double acting presses. I

The blank holding member 15 is reciprocable by means of a crank arm 16,between which crank arm and the blank holding member links are arrangedso that as the crank arm 16 is rotated the links will cause the blankholding member to be reciprocated.

In machines of this type any number of links may be provided but fourare preferably used and in the present invention as the construction andoperation of each of the links is the same, the description of one willapply equally as well to them all.

The link is of a sectional construction embodying members 17 and 18,which are pivotally connected intermediate the ends of the member 18 asat 19. One end of the of such relative movement, such for in- V stanceasa fluid pressure cushion designated generally by the reference numeral22. This cushion may be secured to the link in any suitable mannersuch'as by means of anchor rods 23 and the cushion member includes anydesired number of chambers which are out of communication with eachother.

In the form of the invention shown in Figures 1 and 2, the cushionincludes two chambers 24-25 separated by a partition or head 26. Withinthe chamber 25 is arranged a piston 27 and within the chamber 24 isarranged a piston 28. These pistons are connected by means of a pistonrod 29. which asses through the partition 26 and a suitable packing 01-stufling box 30 may be provided for forming a fluid tight joint. Thefree end of the piston rod 29 is connected with the end 31 of thesection 18 of the link preferably bvmeans of a supplemental link32pivotally connected as at with the link section 18 and is also pivotallyconnected as at 34 with the end of the piston rod 29, so that when thepistons are moved within the cylinder or cushion 22 the sections 17-18of the link will be rocked with the section 18 will also be rocked aboutits .pivot 20, while the section 17 will be rocked .25 on one side ofthe piston 27 and'another.

pipe 39 has communication with the chamber 25 on the side of the piston27 opposite to the side on which the pipe .37 communicates with thechamber 25. 7

It will thus be seen .that'when fluid pressure is admitted into the pi s35-37 the. pistons 28-26 will be move into the position shown in Figure2 of the drawings and the fluid pressure will then hold the linksections 17 and 18 in a position} to maintain the blank holding member15 in a position that the blank holder 16 carried by the blank holdingmember 15. will travelto the full extent or limit of its movement by thelinks. Obviously the pressure of the fluid under these conditions may besuch that the blank holder 16 may be permitted to yield forany desiredextent when the blank holder engages the work, but the pressure will besuch that the blank holder will be moved into engagement and will exerta working pressureupon the blank.

This construction is advantageous inasmuch as it will permit the blankholder 16 to yield in the event that work of varying thicknesses areplaced into the machine after the blank holder has been once set.Furthermore the blank holder 16 will yield in the event that during thedrawing operation the work 40 or portions thereof increase in thicknessdue to the flow of the material from one portion thereof to the other.This yielding of the blank holder 16 will prevent damage to the work aswell as to the parts of the mechanism:

' It will be obvious that if the blank holder 16 is set for apredetermined extent of movement by the links for a blank of apredetermined gauge or thickness and a blank of a larger gauge orthickness is fed into the machine, considerable damage will be caused ifthe blank holder 16 is not permitted ,to yield to compensate the varyingth'icknesses of the work.

If on the other hand. the extent of movement of the blank holder 16 isadjustedso as to accommodate work of one thickness and a blank of asmaller size or gauge is. fed into the machine, the blank will not beheld with sufficient firmness to prevent the same from wrinkling orbecoming distorted and torn during the forming operation.

Therefore, by providing a means wherebly the blank holder 16 mayautomatically a just itself to compensate the varying thicknesses of thework,these objections will be obviated.

The pressure in the cylinder may be controlled automatically in a mannerto be hereinafter set forth.

If desired and under certain conditions when necessar ,-or desirable,the pressure in one or more 0 the cylinders may be reduced atpredetermined times in the cycle of oper. .ation of the machine. Thismay be accomplis'hed b the cylin ers on one side of the piston or byexerting another fluid pressure on the other side of the pistons, whichis eater than the pressure already exerted t ereon,

so as to move the pistons in the opposite direction and thereby permitthe links 17 and 18 to be relatively moved with respect to each other.

This may be accomplished by admitting fluid pressure on the oppositeside of the piston 27 through'the pipe 39.

Fluid pressure may be supplied from any suitable source such as from amain supply pipe or line 41 leading from which are a plurality of branchpipes or lines 42-43- 44, through a suitable controlling devicedesignated generally by the reference numeral 45. This controllingdevice is provided with suitable valves 46-47 for controlling thedirection of flow and the pressure of the fluid and'the valves areadapted to be operated from any suitable source either from a movingportion of the machine or from a separate motor (not shown), and whichmotor imparts motion to a sprocket gear 48, the latter being connectedby means of a sprocket chain 49, which passes over an-- other sprocket50 for operating the valves 46-47, it being understood that a separateoperating mechanism is preferable for each of the valves 46-47.

The specific construction and operation of this controlling or valveoperating mechanism, however, forms no'part'of the present invention butconstitutes the subject matter of aseparate application.

either releasing the pressure in" The pipe 42 is connected with thecontrolling device 45 on one side of the valve 46,- and leading from theother side of the valve 46 is a pipe 51, which has communication withthe pipe 37 leading to the cylinder 25 on one side of the piston 27. Thepipe 44 has communication with the pipe 35, the latter havingcommunication with the chamber 24 on one side of the piston 28. The pipe43 has communication with the valve 47 on one side thereof and leadingfrom the other side of the valve 47 is a pipe'52 which has communicationwith the pipe 39, the latter communicating with the chamber 25 on theopposite side of the piston 27.

Suitable pressure regulating valves 53-- 54 -55 may be arrangedresfiectively within the pipe lines 424344. y the provision of thesepressure regulating valvesthe fluid pressure on the respective sides ofthe respective pistons may be predetermined.

It will-therefore be manifest that during 'the cycle of operation of thepress, the valves 46 and 47 will be automatically operated atpredetermined points or times in such cycle.

trolled and the desired pressure may also be,

controlled, thereby rendering it possible to vary the pressure atdifl'erent stages in the cycle of operation of the press, and therebrendering it possible to produce in a sing e operation of the pressshapes and forms of devices which, in order to produce with I presses asheretofore constructed and without the use of the present blank holdingmeans, would necessitate several difl'erent and distinct operations,necessitatin the possible use of two or more di erent presses. v

- Furthermore by the use of this invention it is possible with cams ortoggle actin presses to hold the material .being operated upon at adesired pressure for a predetermined length of time to produce a perfector clearly defined dwell of the blank holder against the material.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, the link between thecrank 16' and A the blank holding member 15 embodies a member 56 whichis pivotally connected as at 57 with the blank holdingmember 15 and hasconnected therewith a cylinder 58, which is provided with a partition 59dividing the cylinder into two chambers 60-61.

The other member of the link 62 is pivotally connected as at 63 with thecrank 16 and extends into the cylinders and through the partition 59.Connected with the member 62 is a piston 64, which is movable within thechamber 61 and a second piston 65 is also connected with the" member 62and is including blank holding aneans, mechanical means for moving theblank holding means movable within the chamber 60. a y

A pipe 65'- has communication with a passage 66 in the head of thecylinder and has communication with .the chamber 60 and corresponds withthe pipe 35 in the form of the invention shown in Figure 2. A pipe 67has communication with a passage 68 leading through the partition 59 andhas communication with the chamber 61 on one side of the piston 64 andcorresponds with the pipe 37 in the form of the invention shown inFigure 2.

A pipe 69 has communication with a pashas communication wi sage 70 inthe head of t cylinder and also the chamber 61 on the other side of thepiston 64 and corresponds with the pipe 39 in the form of the inventionshown 1n Figure 2.

\Vhile the preferred forms oi the invenl tion have been herein shown anddescribed, it is to be understood that various changes may be made inthe details of construction and in the combination and arrangement ofthe several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departingfrom the spirit of this invention, and it is to be further understoodthat although there is shown and described in each form of theinvention, two cylinders embodying the cushionin device, this number maybe increased or ecreased according to the nature of the press and theworkto be performed thereon. For these reasons, it isdesired that thedrawings submitted herewith, shall be considered as being merelydiagrammatic of the invention.

What is claimed as new is l. Blanklholding means, motion creating means,and actuatin mechanism for the blank holding means interposed betweenthe latter and the said motion creating means, the said actuatingmechanism including a fluid controlled yieldable portion.

2. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means into engagementwitli and forcausing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work,the said moving means including a yieldablefluid pressure cushioningdevice exerting its stress upon the blank holding means, and means forvarying the stress of the cushioning device upon the blank holdingmeans.

3. Amachine of the character described includingblank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means into engagement withand for causingthe sameto exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid moving means including ieldable fluid pressure mechanism operatmgto permit the blank holding means to yield with respect to the saidmoving means to compensate the varying thicknesses of the work. v .1 4.A machine of the character described into engagement with and forcausing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, and fluidpressure yielding means whereby the stress of the said blank holdingmeans upon the work and with respect to the said moving means may bevaried at will. F

5. A machine of the character described into engagement with and forcausing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, and fluid'pressure'yielding means whereby the stress of the said blank holdingmeans upon the work and with respect to the said moving means may beautomatically varied to compensate the varying thicknesses of the work.

6. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,and mechanical means for moving the blank hold ing means into engagementwith and for causing the same to exert a workin pressure .upon the work,the said mecl ianical means including as a component part thereof afluid pressure yielding yieldable section.

7. A machinb of the character described including blank holding means",mechanical means formoving the blank holding means into engagement withand for causing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid mechanica means including as a component part thereof a yieldablesection, and fluid pressure means for controlling the stress of the saidyieldable section.

8. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanicalmeans for moving the blank holding means into engagement withand for causing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid mechanical means including as a component part thereof a yieldablesection, and fluid pressure means for controlling the stress of the saidyieldable section. a

9. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means into engagement withand forv causing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid mechanical means including as a component part thereof a yieldablesection, fluid pressure means for controllin the stress of the saidyieldable section, an means for controlling the said fluid pressuremeans.

10. A machine of the character described including blank holdin means,mechanical means for moving the lank holding means into engagement withand for causing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid mechanical means including I work, the said mechanica as acomponent part thereof a yieldable sec-' as a component part thereof ayieldable section, and fluid pressure means operating automaticall tocontrol the stress of the said yieldabl e section.

' 11. A machine of the character. described including blank holrlinmeans, mechanical means for moving the lank holding meansinto-engagement with and for causing the same to exert a workingpressure upon the means including pressure means for controlling thetion,flui

the said yieldable section, and

stress of and means operating automatically to control the said fluidpressure means.

12. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the'blank holding means into engagement withand for-causing the a same to exert a working pressure upon the work,the said mechanical means including,

same to exerta working pressure upon the work, the said mechanical meansincluding as a com onent part thereof a yieldable sectlon, uid pressuremeans for controlling the stress of the said yieldable section, all

of the recited parts being disposed above the work.

14. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means into engagement withand for causing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid mechanical means including as a component part thereof a yieldablesection, and means for controlling the stress of the said yieldablesection, all of the recited parts being disposed above the work.

- 15. 'A. machine of the character described including blank holdinmeans, mechanical means for moving the lank holding means intoengagement with and for causing the same to exert a working pressureupon the work the said mechanical means including a link connected withthe blank holding means, said link being sectional, said sections beingrelatively movable, and fluid pressure yielding means for controllingthe relative movement of the link sections.

16. A machinejof'the character described including blank holdin means,mechanical means for moving the lank holding means into engagement withand for causing the same to exert a working ressure upon the .work, thesaid mechanica means including a link connected with the blankholdingmeans,- said link being sectional, said sections being relativelmovable, fluid pressure yielding means or controlling the relativemovement of the link sectlons, and

means for varying the stress of the said I yielding means.

17. A machine of the including blank holding means, mechanical means formoving the blank olding meansinto engagement with and f r causing thesame to exert a working pressure upon the character described I work,the said mechanical means including a link connected with the blankholding means, said link being sectional, said sections being relativelymovable, fluld pressure yielding means for controlling the relativemovement of the link sections, and means for automatically controllingthe stress of the said yieldingmeans. A

18. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means nto engagement withand for causing the work, the said mechanical means including a linkconnected with the blank holding means, said link being sectional, saidsections being relatively movable, fluid pressure means for controllingthe relative move-' ment of the link sections, and means for controllingthe said fluid pressure means.

20. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means into engagement withand for causing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid mechanical means including a link connected with the blank holdingmeans said link being sectional, .said sections being relativel suremeans for controlling the relative movement of the link sections, andmeans controllable at will and operable in opposition to the said fluidpressure means for reducing the stress of the blank holding means uponthe work.

21. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means into engagement withand for causing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid mechanical means including a link connected with the blank holdingmeans, said link beihg sectional, said sections being relativelymovable, fluid pressure means for controlling the relative movement ofthe link sections and fluid pressure means controllable at will and oerable in opposition to the first recited flui pressure for reducing thestress of the blank holding means upon the work.

22. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means into engagement withand for causing the movable, fluid pressame to exert a working pressureupon the work, the said blank holding means being movable to apredetermined extent by the second recited means, and means operating topermit the blank holding means to yield with respect to the secondrecited means and while the stress of the latter is exerted upon theblank holding means. v

23. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving theblank holding means into engagement withand for causing the same to exert a working pressure upon the work, thesaid blank holding means being movable to a predetermined extent by thesecond recited means, and fluid pressure means operating to ermit theblank holding means to yield wit respect to the second recited means andwhile the stress of the latter is exerted upon the blank holding means.a

24. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for movingv the blank holding means into engagementwith and for causing the same to exert a working ressure upon the work,the said blank hol ing means being "movable to a predetermined extent bythe second recited means, fluid pressure means operating to permit theblank holding means to yield with respect to the second recited meansand while the stress of the latter is exerted upon the blank holdingmeans, and

means for controlling the pressure of the said fluid pressure means.

25. A machine of the character described including blank holdin meansfor moving the lank holding means into engagement with and .for causingthe same to exert a working pressure upon the work, the second saidmeans operating to move the blank holding'means a predetermined distanceupon each cycle of-o'peration of the second recited means, and fluidpressure means whereb the extent of movement of the blank holdmg meansby the second recited means may be varied while the ex:

means remains constant. p

26. A machine of the character described including blankholding means,mechanical work, the second said means operating to move the blankholding means a predetermined distance upon each cycle of operation ofthe second recited means, and fluid pressure means whereby the pressureof the blank holding be varied while the extent of movement of thesecond recited meansremains constant.

27. A machine of the character described including blank holding means,mechanical means for moving the blank holding means means, mechanicaltent of movement of the second recited means upon the work may intoengagement with and for causing the same to exert a working pressureupon the work, the said mechanical means including i a link connectedwith the blank holding including blank holding means, mechanical meansfor moving the blank holding means into engagement with and for causingthe same to exert a. working pressure upon the 15 work, the saidmechanical means including a link connected with the blank holdingmeans,' fluid pressure means connected with the link and operating topermit the blank holding means to yield with respect to the Work Whilethe stress of the link is exerted upon the blank holding means, andmeans controllable at will and operable in opposition to the said fluidpressure for reducing the stress of the blank holding means upon thework.

In testimony whereof We have signed our names to this specification, onthis 7th day of May, A. D. 1923.

RUDOLPH W. GLASNER. FREDRICH J .RODE.

